OBJECTIVES: Obtaining informed consent from research participants is an ethical and legal obligation for medical researchers in clinical studies. Electronic informed consent (eIC) is increasingly being adopted in clinical research worldwide. However, there is limited data on Chinese medical researchers' knowledge and attitudes toward eIC. This study aims to investigate their knowledge, attitudes, and influencing factors regarding eIC use in clinical research. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using stratified random sampling. From June to August 2022, medical researchers from 8 tertiary hospitals were surveyed via an online platform (Wenjuanxing). A self-developed eIC knowledge questionnaire and attitude scale were used to assess participants' understanding and perceptions of eIC. Univariate analysis was employed to explore factors influencing attitude scores and the correlation between knowledge and attitudes. A generalized linear model was used to analyze associations between demographic characteristics and attitude scores, including the frequency of difficulties in using smartphones or computers, preferred device for using eIC, and their interaction effects. Stratified analysis was further performed for significant interactions. RESULTS: A total of 399 valid questionnaires were collected. The mean accuracy rate on the eIC knowledge questionnaire was (94.88±15.50)%. Of the respondents, 74.9% had heard of eIC, and 84.5% preferred using mobile devices over computers to access eIC. The median attitude score was 3.41 (3.18, 3.76), indicating generally positive attitudes. Specifically, 81.7% found eIC more convenient than paper-based consent, 79.7% considered it more efficient, and 51.1% believed it could fully replace paper forms. However, 60.7% expressed concerns about data security and privacy, and 89.7% believed that relevant laws and regulations need improvement. Spearman correlation analysis showed a weak positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.171, P=0.001). Univariate analysis indicated that the frequency of difficulty using devices and preferred device for eIC were significantly associated with attitude scores (P<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the generalized linear model demonstrated that participants who occasionally experienced had difficulty using devices had significantly lower attitude scores compared to those who never had difficulty (β=-0.040, 95% CI -0.071 to -0.009, P=0.012). Those who preferred using PCs had significantly lower attitude scores than those who preferred mobile devices (β=-0.066, 95% CI -0.108 to -0.023, P=0.002). Interaction analysis showed a significant interaction analysis showed a significant interaction between age and preferred device (P=0.011), particularly among participants aged ≥45-year (P<0.001). No other interactions were found to be significant (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Medical researchers in China generally have a high level of knowledge and positive attitudes toward eIC, though concerns remain regarding data security and privacy. Future promotion of eIC in Chinese clinical research should be grounded in ethical considerations and address the specific needs of older users and mobile device users, while also enhancing researchers' competencies in using digital tools and eIC systems.
Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Informed Consent ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Male ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Adult ; Biomedical Research ; Research Personnel/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; China

Objective To investigate the effects of zalcitabine(ddC),a mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ(POLG)inhibitor,on the migration,invasion,and to preliminarily explore mitochondrial biogenesis of human tri-ple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.Methods The effect of ddC on cell viability was detected using the MTT assay.The migration and invasion abilities of the cells were evaluated using the cell scratch and Transwell in-vasion assays.Cell apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry and a V-FITC/PI cell apoptosis detection kit.The protein expression of POLG,NADH dehydrogenase subunit Ⅰ(NADH1),NADH dehydrogenase subunit Ⅱ(NADH2),ATP synthase subunit 6(ATPase6),cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ⅰ(COX-1)and cytochrome c ox-idase subunit Ⅲ(COX-3)were determined using Western blot.The POLG mRNA level and mtDNA copy number were determined using qPCR.The mitochondrial content and ATP levels were determined using MitoTracker Green fluorescent probe staining and an ATP determination kit.MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-EG-FP-POLG plasmids to overexpress POLG.The inhibitory effects of ddC on cell migration and invasion were detected in POLG-overexpressed MDA-MB-231 cells.Results POLG expression was higher in MDA-MB-231 cells than in normal mammary epithelial cells(MCF-10A)(P＜0.01).ddC inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent man-ner.ddC inhibited the migration(P＜0.01)and invasion(P＜0.01)of MDA-MB-231 cells;however,it dis-played no significant inhibitory effects on cell viability in normal mammary epithelial cells(MCF-10A)at the same concentration.ddC downregulated the protein(P＜0.01)and mRNA(P＜0.01)levels of POLG,reduced mtD-NA copy number(P＜0.01)and downregulated mtDNA-coded NADH1,NADH2,ATPase6,COX-1 and COX-3 protein expression(P＜0.01)in MDA-MB-231 cells.Furthermore ddC inhibited mitochondrial content(P＜0.01)and ATP(P＜0.01)levels in MDA-MB-231 cells.POLG overexpression increased the migration(P＜0.05)and invasion(P＜0.05)abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells,while ddC did not significantly inhibit the migra-tion and invasion abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells overexpressing POLG.Conclusion ddC downregulates POLG ex-pression in MDA-MB-231 cells and inhibits mitochondrial biogenesis and ATP levels,thereby inhibiting the migra-tion and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the pre-audit rules for anesthesia prescriptions， improve the audit quality and rational drug use. METHODS The inpatient medical orders of anesthesia department from prescription pre-audit system of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University （hereinafter referred to as “our hospital”） were analyzed from April 1 to 30， 2023. The classification statistics and evidence-based inquiry were carried out for irrational drug use issues； combined with our hospital’s current implementation of the Anesthesiology Clinical Pathway Medication Standards， the audit rules were set in details， and audit management and communication feedback processes were established. The total number of monthly audited orders， the number of pre-audit pop ups， system interception rate， physician modification rate after system audit， pharmacist audit rate， and reasonable rate of medical orders after refined setting of rules （May-December in 2023） were compared with before setting （April in 2023）； the average medication cost per anesthesia session after refined setting of rules was also compared with before setting （May- December in 2022）. RESULTS Irrational drug use in the anesthesia department mainly included inappropriate indications， inappropriate administration routes， inappropriate usage and dosage， inappropriate compatibility， medication problems in special populations， and improper medication during the perioperative period. After the refinement of the rules， the number of pre-audit pop ups in the anesthesia department significantly decreased over time， and gradually reached a stable state after continuous improvement. Compared with before setting， the system interception rate after the refinement of rules （P＜0.001）， physician modification rate after system audit （P＜0.001） both increased significantly， while the pharmacist audit rate significantly decreased （P＜0.001）. There was a linear trend between the reasonable rate of medical orders and the month from May to December in 2023 （P＜0.05）. Compared with before the setting， the average medication cost of anesthesia per session decreased from 720.72 yuan to 528.21 yuan， with a decrease of 26.71%. CONCLUSIONS Based on evidence-based reference， refining pre-audit rules for anesthesia prescriptions can significantly improve the quality of prescription examination， promote rational drug use， and save patient’s medical expenses.

OBJECTIVE To systematically summarize the working model of pharmacy consultation in medical institutions in China， and to provide reference for the normalization of process， standardization of content and homogenization of services of pharmacy consultation. METHODS A systematic search of Chinese and English literature databases was conducted to incorporate the literature on the working model of pharmacy consultation published by medical institutions in China. Two researchers screened and extracted the key information， and ultimately conducted qualitative summary and descriptive analysis. RESULTS Based on the included 11 articles， the pharmacy consultation working models were explored by clinical pharmacists in China. The contents of consultation mainly involved anti-infection， parenteral nutrition， cancer pain， etc. The general concept of pharmacy consultation should refer to the constructed flowchart， specific consultation problems could refer to the pathway， mind map， or decision tree and other framework guidance to carry out the work. Finally， consultation opinions could be written according to the consultation system or specialty consultation templates， and the adoption of a new working model （such as pharmacist active consultation） could also promote the number and acceptance rate of pharmacy consultation. CONCLUSIONS A series of working models of pharmacy consultation have been initially explored in medical institutions in China. However， it is not yet perfect and lacks a unified quality control and evaluation system for pharmacy consultation， which should be the focus of future research and practice.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Surgery remains the primary and most successful therapy option for the treatment of early- and mid-stage HCCs, but the high heterogeneity of HCC renders prognostic prediction challenging. The construction of relevant prognostic models helps to stratify the prognosis of surgically treated patients and guide personalized clinical decision-making, thereby improving patient survival rates. Currently, the prognostic assessment of HCC is based on several commonly used staging systems, such as Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM), Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP), and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC). Given the insufficiency of these staging systems and the aim to improve the accuracy of prognostic prediction, researchers have incorporated further prognostic factors, such as microvascular infiltration, and proposed some new prognostic models for HCC. To provide insights into the prospects of clinical oncology research, this review describes the commonly used HCC staging systems and new models proposed in recent years.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Survival Rate ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To investigate the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in plasma samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and to evaluate its correlation with antibody titer and neutralizing activity.Methods:A simple method for ADCC detection was established using HEK293T cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein as target cells and FcγRⅢa-V158-expressing Jurkat cells as effector cells. It was used to analyze the ADCC activity in 38 plasma samples after the ratio of effector cells to target cells was optimized. Plasma-specific antibody was detected by capturing ELISA, which was to capture the C-terminal-tagged recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S protein with an anti-tag antibody. The neutralizing activity in plasma samples was detected using a pseudovirus neutralization assay. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between different groups and non-parametric Spearman correlation test was performed for correlation analysis. Results:The seroconversion rates for antibodies specific for S protein, S1 protein and RBD were all 97.4% (37/38), and the dynamic changes in antibody titers with recovery time showed that antibody titers peaked at 3-4 weeks. Among the plasma samples with neutralizing activity, those with antibody titers >1∶320 had stronger neutralizing activity than the plasma samples with antibody titers <1∶320 [IC 50: 749.6 (396.5-3 772.0) vs 81.4 (11.6-228.4), P<0.01]. ADCC activity was detectable in 86.8% (33/38) of the plasma samples, and its dynamic change with recovery time were consistent with that of specific antibody titer with a peak at 3-4 weeks. Correlation analysis showed ADCC was positively correlated with the titers of antibodies specific for S protein, S1 protein and RBD ( r=0.686, 0.535 and 0.471, all P<0.01). A positive correlation was also found between ADCC and neutralizing activity ( r=0.573, P<0.01). Conclusions:This study established a simple method for the detection of ADCC. Results of this study suggested that SARS-CoV-2 could induce specific ADCC in plasma and the ADCC might be associated with non-neutralizing antibodies. Besides, the activity of ADCC peaked at 3-4 weeks. These findings would be of reference value for clinical treatment with convalescent plasma.

OBJECTIVE To explore and establish a long-term mechanism for rational control of intravenous fluids in hospitals. METHODS On the basis of the establishment of rules and regulations， through the exploration and implementation of the core technical strategy of “six-step method”， a new mode of intravenous infusion control was established. The contents of the “six-step method” were as follows： the first step was to sort out the diseases that did not require intravenous infusion； the second step was to sort out the alternative drugs/dosage forms； the third step was to sort out the alternative routes of infusion； the fourth step was to develop drug specifications； the fifth step was to explore the personalized medication needs of clinical departments； the sixth step was to develop a department-specific integrated infusion regimen. The utilization rate of intravenous fluids in inpatients and the average daily amount of intravenous fluids per bed in inpatients were used as the main indicators to evaluate the control effect. RESULTS The comparison of the average values of three months before and after the implementation of the “six-step” management mode in the department of thoracic surgery of our hospital showed that after management and control， the average utilization rate of intravenous fluids in inpatients decreased by 1.74%， the average daily use of intravenous fluids in inpatients per bed decreased by 0.30 bags/bottle， and the per capita use of infusion drugs under key control gradually decreased. CONCLUSIONS The “six-step” management mode can reduce the utilization rate of intravenous fluids in inpatients， and this management mode is practical and feasible.

Objective:To investigate the effect of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in mouse model of retinal light injury and the possible mechanism.Methods:Human umbilical cord derived MSCs were identified by flow cytometry.Supernatants of passage 3-5 MSCs were collected.sEVs were harvested by ultracentrifugation and were identified by transmission electron microscopy.Sixty-five healthy female SPF-grade BALB/c mice aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into normal group (17 mice), phosphate buffered saline (PBS) group (24 mice) and sEVs group (24 mice). Mice in PBS and sEVs groups were intravitreally injected with 2 μl of PBS and sEVs, respectively, and were exposed to 930 lx blue light for 6 hours.No intervention was administered to the normal group.Three days after lighting, mice retinal structure was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.Apoptotic retinal cells were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Retinal function was tested by electroretinogram.Differentially expressed mRNAs between PBS group and sEVs group were assayed by mRNA transcriptome sequencing and were analyzed through KEGG cluster analysis.The differential mRNAs were verified via real-time quantitative PCR.The study protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital (No.TJYY20201221035).Results:MSCs were positive for CD90 and CD105, negative for CD34 and CD45.The extracted MSC-sEVs showed a bilayer membrane vesicle with a diameter of 80-140 nm.Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed the arrangement of photoreceptor nuclei was disordered in outer nuclear layer in PBS group.The disorder of photoreceptor nuclei arrangement of sEVs group was slighter than that of PBS group.The apoptotic cell number of sEVs group was (14.60±4.04)/visual field, which was lower than (24.00±8.52)/visual field of PBS group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=2.37, P<0.05). The a-wave amplitude of sEVs group was (64.38±16.70)μV, which was higher than (16.78±6.37) μV of PBS group, showing a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). The b-wave amplitudes of PBS and sEVs groups were (132.40±39.41) μV and (154.86±34.08) μV, respectively, which were lower than (338.38±27.41) μV of normal group, and the differences were statistically significant (both at P<0.05). A total of 110 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected.There were 109 downregulated mRNAs in sEVs group.Differentially expressed mRNAs were mainly inflammation- and immune-related pathways.PCR showed that the expression level of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, C-C motif chemokine receptor 2, leukotriene B4, leukocyte Ig-like receptor A6 and interleukin-1β in sEVs group were significantly decreased in comparison with PBS group (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:MSC-sEVs can ameliorate blue light-induced retinal structural and functional damage.The protective effect may be achieved through inhibiting inflammatory response.

The electronic informed consent (eIC) system is a product of modernization development of electronic and intelligent technology. In the context of COVID-19, the eIC system can adapt to the epidemic prevention and control requirements, showing its time-space advantages. By introducing the concept, form and the use of eIC system, this paper analyzed the challenges of acceptance, understanding, consent and information security faced by the eIC system. Based on this, some suggestions were put forward, including strengthening the training of the relevant personnel involved in the eIC system, enhancing and improving the functions of the eIC system, and perfecting the relevant laws and regulations of the eIC system, so as to provide reference for the future research and application of eIC.

At present, China is still in the exploratory stage in the field of electronic informed consent (eIC), and relevant policies, regulations and application guidelines have not yet been established and improved. While the traditional informed consent supervision system is difficult to meet the needs of the innovative development of eIC, such as subject privacy and data security. Through sorting out and analyzing the legal norms and construction system of eIC supervision in Europe and the United States, combined with the current development status, problems, and challenges of eIC in China, this paper targeted proposed the path to construct the supervision of eIC in clinical research in China from the aspects of restricting the signing form and process of eIC, adjusting the ethical review paradigm of eIC, enhancing the strength of eIC ethical review, improving the construction of eIC legal system, and strengthening the training of relevant researchers.